It's time for another chapter. Sorry about leaving the chapter at a huge cliffhanger last chapter, but the fight would have taken too long to write out then. It flowed much better in keeping the chapter length consistent. The first Tournament arc began, because it's not Pokémon without them. Mikoto gets her first taste of the limelight before realizing how varied trainers truly are. There are a couple fights I'm looking forward to writing. I'm going to try to make the fights interesting, but different at the very least. I don't want every fight to go exactly the same way. The thing with Pokémon is that their moves are limited, so that gives me too options. One, the way they use said move changed or, two, have them learn new moves. I supposed there's a third with evolution in the middle of the battle like some cheaters do. Anyway, it's Mikoto's adventure, so it will be told nearly entirely from her point of view unless we take a look at an antagonist.
Chen: He has an Umbreon. He used it to beat up a bunch of noob trainers a couple chapters ago. Yes, that was the plan. I was actually thinking of a different one for Gunha.
Bluejack222: I have to be in the mood to write this one. Otherwise it's going to be garbage. It's more of a break story from my main ones.
Formboy1: Rejoice! It has been updated. Well yeah, the Elite Four had to be them. As for Worst, I thought about it, and Mikoto needs a mean older sister. It's only natural. Need to look up some information on Mega evolutions, Z-rings, and battle bonds. Academy City would obviously have procured some mega stones and rings. I'm imaging that conversation between Kazari and Touma. Would end up with Touma placing his hands on her shoulder and saying, "You can't keep them in it. You can only accept it." Rotom lawnmower grass type would be funny. I don't know if I can be mean to Kazari with mischievous Pokémon. Nah, Hamazura is going to be like the Team Rocket. He constantly attacks Mikoto's group, but keeps failing. I thought long and hard of a team name. Mikoto wouldn't do something embarrassing to her and wouldn't insult Touma with the name like his friends would. She would do something she liked and I could add a funny comment to it. I feel someone doesn't like Teitoku.
WiliamZ0: Fine, I'll try to answer your stuff. Touma will prove rarity doesn't matter. Anyone can be a good trainer. It's that kind of straightforwardness Mikoto likes. Charizard is the number one fire starter in every game. When Charmeleon evolves, all hell will break lose. I have Misaki to constantly be Mikoto's love rival, but yeah, more Kami-yan disease occasionally. Hamazura's role is kind of defined for the future, but one day. One day he may have the power. Touma's ultimate dragon near the end. Eevee's are great Pokémon, so all the level 7s need one. The joke with Kazari will occur occasionally, mostly that her Pokémon keep evolving without her battling with them. It's like being near her gives them xp. Everyone likes Teitoku, what are you talking about? Accelerator would hand her the trophy and then pretend to accidently drop it.
G119: Might be a recurring theme.
Guest: A lot of trainers' backstories will only be told if Mikoto finds them out. That means she will have to get to know Accelerator. Won't happen anytime soon, but it is possible. I will keep that in mind you are interested in knowing it.
Guest: That's going a little deeper than when I had planned for this story. Accelerator will not have psychic powers, but how he met Mewtwo and Eevee is still up for grabs, so I might be able to use some of this. Teitoku will be in the same boat.
Scarletrailgun: Their fight will be much better when they get a 6v6. This fight is just to kick off the tournament.
a certain guest: I'm really tempted to do that now. Arceus will appear and Mikoto will be all respectful. Touma will just face palm and yell out, "What is it this time?!" Outside the city, Touma will let them out more often, but most of his Pokémon are larger, so he can't keep them out everywhere.
WaterWhirl: Hmm, maybe Touma's family had been cursed by Hoopa long ago. Have to think about it.
Deadpool099: He can lose. He's not invincible.
FrodoFighter: The person who makes sure I occasionally update this. Great, you got me to sing that opening song. "I really hope Uiharu gets a Skiddo... just to have her ride on it cause that would be super cute." It is a grass-type, so definitely possible. Mikoto is not engaged to anyone. She can totally go out with random background trainer #24. Pokédex heights lie. Uiharu shall ride Tropius into the sunset. It can fly. Shizuri's Furret is indeed special. What she does with its soft and cuddliness is private. Hamazura has to grow as a person to get a red Gyarados. I can assure you Glaceon is nice. Everyone likes Teitoku though. He's just that cool and nice, unless you cross him. Aogami is indeed a smart cookie. What if Touma's denseness is all an act and he knows pretending not to notice girls makes them want him even more? That is genius. Mikoto's too young to understand the complicated feelings of love. You sure that was Biribiri vision and not Frodo vision? "Also if you hurt Mikoto I will make you get written out of the story" Umm, what? You're writing this? Why did you not tell me? Kazari x Teitoku is a good match.
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or Pokémon. I wish I did so I could retire rich.
"Double Team!"
"And it looks like Kakine has decided to start things off!" the announcer declared as the stadium erupted into cheers. It was lucky both contestants had mics clipped onto their shirts so the audience could hear the orders. Otherwise, they would only be able to rely on the announcer and what was happening on the field.
Dozens of copies of Deoxys surrounded Mewtwo, all of them slightly blurry. Mewtwo's eyes darted back and forth, but it was unable to pick out the real one.
"Don't worry about that for now," Accelerator ordered. "Calm Mind!"
"He's not going to attack?" Mikoto asked in surprise as Mewtwo's eyes closed and a faint purple glow surrounded it.
"I don't think he can aim properly yet," Kuroko pointed out.
"Yeah… but he likes to be aggressive right?"
"Usually," Ruiko agreed. "But he's not a champ for nothing."
"I guess even the champion can be defensive," Teitoku said. "Deoxys, Psycho Boost! Get rid of that bonus!"
One of the Deoxys held its arms up and a large ball of multicolor energy appeared. The orb than was absorbed into the crystal on its chest before an even larger ball of energy flew out from its chest at Mewtwo. A quick glance at her Pokédex informed Mikoto that Psycho Boost was a powerful psychic type ability known only by Deoxys. If it hit, the special attack of its opponent would sharply drop. Calm Mind increased Mewtwo's special attack and defense, so it would negate half of the stat increase.
The multicolor orb exploded next to Mewtwo.
"That looked like a direct hit!" the announcer roared. "Psycho Boost may be the same type as Mewtwo, but no one can deny that pure destructive power!"
"Looks like this battle is going to be over faster than I thought," Teitoku gloated.
"Yes," Accelerator agreed. "For you." The dust around Mewtwo cleared to reveal a blue sphere barrier protecting Mewtwo. "An attack like that won't do anything."
"Mewtwo protected itself with protect!" Ruiko cheered. "Keep it up, Accelerator!"
It's not really protect, Mikoto remembered. It's just an application of Psychic.
"Shadow Ball!"
Accelerator ordered. A dark sphere appeared in Mewtwo's outstretched hand right before being tossed at Deoxys. The barrier disappeared right before the ball hit it and Deoxys was left wide open in surprise. The force of the explosion that formed on contact formed it back, but it remained standing.
"Ouch," Kazari said, wincing. "That had to hurt. Ghost-type abilities will be super effective against Deoxys,"
"Come on, Kakine!" Mikoto cried. "Don't let him win!"
"Onee-sama likes the underdog, huh?" Kuroko asked with a snicker and then cheered with Mikoto. "Take down the champion!"
"Come on!" Ruiko complained. "Accelerator's an awesome trainer."
"Both of them appear to be rather strong," Kazari pointed out.
"Double Team, Deoxys!"
Deoxys split into many images to avoid a second Shadow Ball. Accelerator and Mewtwo hadn't planned to let them recover and were planning to throw more while Deoxys was destabilized. The energy ball hit the ground and left a small crater with its destructive force. Mewtwo assumed a defensive stance, its arms held out, preparing to intercept. Teitoku kept Deoxys using Double Team, waiting for an opening. Accelerator was waiting for the chance to counter attack with a Shadow Ball. The stalemate continued as both trainers examined the other for weaknesses.
Accelerator's patience wore out first.
"If you won't stop being a coward, I'll end this in one shot." He held out his hand. "Mewtwo, blow them all away with Psystrike!"
I remember that move, Mikoto thought, as she found herself near the edge of her seat.
Mewtwo raised its arms out to its sides and a white force field, similar to the blue dome, formed around it. The light was blinding and only grew in intensity as the field began to expand. As Deoxys's illusions had been circling Mewtwo, they were all about to collide with the force field simultaneously. Mikoto knew from experience that once something hit the field, it would explode and wipe out everything around Mewtwo. She was worried and wished she could warn Teitoku. When her eyes fell upon him, she noticed something strange that filled her with hope.
Teitoku smiled and issued a simple order.
"Defend."
The entire field was full of a bright light as Psystrike exploded.
"Awesome!" Ruiko cheered, her arm shielding her eyes from the light.
Is Deoxys okay? Mikoto thought, trying to blink away the spots. Dust and smoke was covering the field and nothing was visible. He wouldn't lose that easily to Accelerator, right? That jerk needs to be knocked down a few pegs.
"I think I see something," Kuroko informed the others. "Two shapes, so I think Deoxys survived that attack."
"No wonder Mewtwo is considered one of the most powerful Pokémon," Kazari whispered in awe. "That much damage with a single attack."
"Pure power isn't everything," Mikoto reminded her. "Strategy can overcome that difference." The dust finally settled and the crowd started up again.
"I don't believe it!" The announcer's words boomed across the stadium. "Deoxys is still standing! I can't believe… wait… Is it just me, or does it look different?" Mikoto blinked and rubbed her eyes.
Deoxys did indeed look different.
Over all, it looked a lot bulkier. Its legs had widened and now had 2 bluish-green spots on each knee. It retained its two pairs of red and blue tentacles, but they were flat and broad. The head had fused with its body and all protrusions were gone, causing it to resemble a helmet. None of the inner black portions were visible, now completely covered by reddish-orange skin. Mikoto wasn't sure if it had muscles and skimmed through her Pokédex for an explanation, but none came.
"What is that?!" demanded Accelerator.
"Deoxys is a shapeshifter from space," Teitoku bragged. "It has multiple forms. What you saw first was its Normal Form, which is relatively balanced in its strength. This one now is Deoxys' Defense Form and I'm sure you guess what that entails." His smirk widened. "It withstood Mewtwo's strongest attack with barely a scratch."
"So you're going to delay the inevitable?" Accelerator asked, unimpressed. "It was just one attack. Shadow Ball!" Mewtwo threw another black energy orb at Deoxys. Unlike before, Deoxys didn't even budge. The explosion didn't faze it at all. A small frown formed on Accelerator's face. "All you are doing is wasting everyone's time! It will eventually fall!"
"Then let's change things," Teitoku laughed. Deoxys, switch to Attack Form."
Deoxys's legs broke apart and then tapered together. Its blue stripes were no longer segmented and ran the entire length of the leg. Large spikes appeared on its knees. Two pairs of whip-like tentacles with pointed tips, one reddish-orange and one blue, replace its previous coiled, blunted tentacles from its original form. The protrusion on its head was now a triangular with an additional one extending from the top of its head. Most of its reddish-orange skin has receded, revealing a striated, black chest and abdomen. Finally, its tail was now longer and more pointed.
"Prepare yourself," Teitoku warned. "Deoxys, Hyper Beam."
A white orb appeared in front of Deoxys's chest a second before the laser fired.
"Barrier, now!" Accelerator commanded instantly. He wasn't the only who noticed the size of that Hyper Beam. The attack was one of the most powerful attacks normal Pokémon could use, but this one was easily three times as powerful as the ones he had seen before. The ground beneath the beam dissolved and Mewtwo was engulfed.
"Look at that power!" the announcer yelled unnecessarily. No one missed that.
"Oh my," Kazari whispered.
"That was one amazing Hyper Beam!" Ruiko cried out, over the cheering and yelling over the crowd.
"Serves him right," Mikoto muttered with a smug look. "I hope Mewtwo is okay though."
"What was that?" Kuroko asked, turning to her.
"Nothing."
The dust settled again and a large groove in the ground was revealed. Mewtwo was standing in front of it, the ground beneath and behind it intact, but the areas to the left and right were burned away. Mewtwo was on one knee and using a hand to hold himself up. He was bruised and burnt slightly, but he was still up.
"How was that?!" Teitoku asked. "No need to be defensive now." Mewtwo stood up and began to brush himself off. "Still acting confident? Let's see how long you can last."
"Wooo!" Mikoto cheered. "Kick his butt, Kakine!"
"You really don't like Accelerator, do you?" Kuroko asked. "Why?"
"He's a jerk," Mikoto responded. "I… saw him on TV before."
"…Right."
The situation looked dire for the champion, but Accelerator surprised everyone by throwing back his head and laughing.
"Have you lost your mind knowing you are about to lose?" Teitoku asked, confused and slightly angry.
"Nah." Accelerator dismissed his worries. "I didn't think I would meet someone so soon to try out something new." Mewtwo looked back and met his eyes before nodding. "Not too long ago, I was reminded of the importance of being adaptable in battle." His eyes flashed in irritation. "That guy…" He shook his head. "Let me show you the true power of Mewtwo." Mewtwo seemed to grin as it held out its hand. An orb of blue light formed before slowly stretching up and down. In a few moments, a familiar shape appeared.
Mewtwo was holding a large, blue, glowing spoon, as tall as it was.
"What the…?" Teitoku asked in confusion.
"Pure psychic energy concentrated into a weapon, rather than a shield. This is the first time we get to test it on another Pokémon." Accelerator held out a hand. "Show them your power."
Mewtwo charged forward, bringing back the spoon, and prepared to swing,
"Defense Form, quick!" Teitoku ordered. He didn't know how powerful that spoon was. Truth be told, it looked really goofy. Experience warned him not to grow complacent and he decided to be safe rather than sorry. Deoxys shifted back into its bulkier form.
Accelerator's dark grin grew when Mewtwo swung the spoon.
"For the love of Arceus!" The announcer yelled in shock and horror. The crowd grew silent over what happened next.
Deoxys was blown away by the force of the swing.
Its arm was also completely annihilated.
Mikoto couldn't take her eyes off what she just witnessed. Apparently, her friends couldn't either. The crowd could only stare in silence at the power. Part of the ground had been thrown all the way to the edge of the ring, Then, Deoxys stood up and people started shouting encouragement. Teitoku looked around and smiled at the support, while Accelerator crossed his arms and looked annoyed.
"It's okay folks!" Teitoku told everyone and raised his arms. "Deoxys' body isn't actually that sturdy besides for the outer skin. Being a shapeshifter, a malleable body is essential." He grinned. "Plus, all it takes to heal a wound of this level is, Recover!" Deoxys' side began to glow and then the white light began to grow in the shape of an arm. When it, faded, its arm had returned, fully formed.
The crowd went wild.
He really knows how to keep the audience on his side, Mikoto realized, as her friends cheered with everyone else. Maybe there's something to that. She turned around slightly to see Misaki. Her rival wasn't necessarily cheering, but her eyes were focused on Teitoku. For someone who wants to be a performer, I guess that would be important. Her eyes darted back to the battle when Accelerator spoke.
"Are you done with the theatrics?"
"Yes," Teitoku agreed and then held up his hand holding a pokeball. "Deoxys, return." His Pokémon disappeared as the crowd started crying out in various levels of disbelief.
"I don't believe this!" the announcer shouted. "It seems as if Teitoku Kakine has given up! This is completely unexpected!"
"I can explain." Teitoku reassured the crowd as he spoke into his mic. "After that demonstration, I don't believe I have the ability to defeat him today. That psychic spoon was completely outside of expectations. Mewtwo was able to blow through Deoxys' defense form like it was nothing. I didn't feel there was any reason to continue and risk my Pokémon getting seriously hurt. When I challenge him for his title in an official six on six battle, I will give it my all. Look forward to it.!"
He turned and left to a round of applause and cheers. Even losing, he had kept most of the crowd on his side. Mikoto made a mental note of it, but she found it strange. The way he talked and acted, it was like he didn't care about winning. He seemed nice enough, sure. Mikoto still liked him over Accelerator, but she couldn't shake the feeling he was after something more. When Accelerator returned Mewtwo, she shook her head and decided to worry about it later.
"An impressive display," the announcer congratulated Accelerator up on stage. "It was quite a treat to witness that move of yours firsthand."
"Naturally."
Blowhard, Mikoto thought angrily and crossed her arms.
"Do you think Kakine-san would be a good rival for you? You mentioned last month there was no one close enough to your level to provide a challenge."
"Not even close," Accelerator declared. "I already found one and he's much more interesting than that guy."
"What?!" The announcer wasn't the only one surprised at this. The audience started whispering among themselves.
"Who on earth could it be?" Kazari asked the others.
"Maybe it's someone we know," Ruiko suggested.
"It's probably someone who's been traveling extensively for powerful Pokémon," Kuroko said reasonably. "What do you think, onee-sama?"
"Nah," Mikoto replied. "I bet it's someone who simply knows how to raise Pokémon."
"Why do you say that?" Ruiko asked interestedly, while the other two looked on with interest.
"Err…" Thinking fast, Mikoto finally settled on a reasonable explanation. "Look at Kakine-san. He had a one of a kind Pokémon like Accelerator and lost. There really aren't many Pokémon that can stand up to Mewtwo, including legendaries. So it most likely has to be someone with well-trained ones."
"Makes sense," Kuroko agreed after a brief pause.
"Aww," Ruiko moaned and slumped into her seat. "Was hoping we would get the chance to see more cool legendaries." She looked over at Mikoto and grinned. "You catch that Zapdos yet?"
"Saten-san!" Kazari gasped and hit her friend lightly on the shoulder. "That was rude."
"Of course," Mikoto replied with a grin. "I was going to use him in the tournament, but I promised Pikachu already."
All four girls laughed at this and then turned their attention back to the announcer. Now that the opening battle had concluded, the announcer was going over how the tournament would be held. There would be four stadiums, A through D, active so that they could get through the fights. A display would be posted informing each team which stadium they would be participating in. Once this was done, everyone began to file out of the stadium seats to see where they needed to be going. Friends, family, and classmates of the participants were among them, along with scouts, a few famous trainers, and people who just enjoyed Pokémon battles. To Mikoto's surprise, she and Touma were going to battle in Stadium A, the one they were in now. They wouldn't have to take a bus over to one of the others.
"Lucky," Ruiko said when the girls found this out. "We don't have to fight our way through the crowds. We're here already."
"When are you two up?" Kazari asked.
"Looks like we are near the end of the first round," Mikoto mumbled, glancing at the listing. "There's an odd number and the team after us got a bye."
"Obviously you are going to win," Kuroko reassured her. "I even cleared a space in our dorm for your trophy."
"You really shouldn't have," Mikoto mouthed dryly. "This is my first tournament and there are a lot of powerful trainers out there."
"Cheer up," Ruiko added and patted her on the back. "Do you best and I'm sure things will go fine. Kamijou-san will do the same."
"Speaking of Kamijou-san," Kazari interjected. "I see him over there talking to Shokuhou-san." Mikoto turned on the spot to see those two talking, with some of Misaki's friends too. She immediately walked over, with her friends following quickly.
"Hey, Misaka," Touma greeted them. Misaki turned and her cheerful expression faltered ever so slightly. He also waved to the others, with only Ruiko and Kazari responding in kind. "We were just talking about the match."
"Yeah," Mikoto agreed. "It was… exciting." She exchanged a quick look with Touma and wordlessly agreed not to mention their previous encounter with Accelerator. "I kind of wish Kakine-san won."
"Those transformations in the middle of battle were pretty impressive," Misaki agreed.
"How has your Vulpixes been?" Kuroko asked her.
"Very well, thank you. We are working on getting Flare to learn Flamethrower right now."
"One of the most standard fire-type moves," Touma acknowledged with a nod. "It's useful in so many situations." He looked around as the crowd began to disperse. "Misaka, did you see where we are battling?"
"That's what I came to tell you," she replied. "Our matches will be here, but we are near the end of the lineup."
"Ah…okay…"
"What's wrong?" Misaki asked. His slightly depressed tone didn't escape her.
"My friends are battling at other stadiums," Touma answered. "They just left. Probably won't see them all day then. Even if they goof around, both of them are pretty good with team battles."
"Guess you have to hang around with us," Ruiko pointed out with a laugh and nudged Mikoto.
"Does he have to?" Kuroko asked, but the others ignored her.
"I'll keep you company," Misaki reassured him and her friends started whispering excitedly behind her.
"You can watch with us," Mikoto interrupted and pushed Misaki to the side. "We need to observe our future competition." She pointed to him. "I won't accept a first round loss."
"Yes, ma'am!" Touma gave her a salute while standing up straight, though he was smirking. The other girls laughed and Mikoto's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "With the number of contestants, I think the matches will be starting soon. Should we get going?"
"Let's get front row seats!" Ruiko declared as the girls and Touma all made their way back into the stadium.
It was a lot emptier now that at least three-fourths of the audience had left. Not only were there three more stadiums, it wasn't like this tournament was a high ranking one with famous trainers. Anyone from the city who was of age could enter, so it was full of a lot of inexperienced trainers. A good number of onlookers were people who just wanted to see the champion battle or were part of Teitoku's fan club. The remainders consisted primarily of friends and families of those competing. Thanks to this fact, Mikoto and the others were able to get prime seats.
"You don't mind looking after Jolteon and Shinx, Kuroko?" Mikoto asked. "The tournament is going to last all day at least." She glanced down at her two Pokémon. Both of them were sitting down quietly and looked back at her. Neither of them wanted to cause a problem.
"It's no problem, onee-sama," Kuroko reassured her. "Kadabra and Beedrill take up too much space, so it will be nice to have some company while we watch." She gestured to Kazari, who had Chikorita, Ruiko, who had Popplio, and Misaki, who had Sylveon, in their laps. Several of Misaki's friends also had a Pokémon out, but they were all small and could easily sit in someone's lap.
"Since Riolu evolved," Touma muttered, more to himself. "Charmeleon is really my smallest Pokémon I could let out, but I want to let him rest until our first match."
"I feel the same with Pikachu," Mikoto admitted.
"Look at that Furret!" Ruiko squealed and pointed to the Pokémon crossing in front of them. "I love them. Their fur is so soft."
"I just want to pet it," Kazari agreed and the Furret stopped and sat up on its hind legs. The small device attached to its collar was clearly visible.
"Is that a camera?" Kuroko asked out loud.
"Must be part of the organizers getting pictures of the crowds," Mikoto suggested. The Furret left them alone after taking a picture and slipped in and out of the seats without bothering a single person. Her eyes flickered back to the stage as a couple adults began to arrive.
"Ladies and gentleman," one of the announcers began and the chattering among the stadium ceased. "The first match will begin shortly. We ask all teams be ready one battle in advanced so we can keep everything moving. A Pokecenter has been set up for trainers to use after each match. We hope everyone does their best and have a good time. Good luck everybody and, for the audience, don't forget to cheer. These trainers worked hard to be here." The crowd clapped and a few people jeered.
"It's beginning," Ruiko whispered excitedly. "This is our first time watching on in an actual stadium." Kazari nodded at her friend and seemed just as excited.
Once the battles began, Mikoto found herself on the edge of her seat.
Every battle was intense, as trainers refused to just roll over and use. Sometimes, battles lasted for only a few minutes, when one team was vastly superior to the other, and others lasted much longer, when teams were evenly matched. A couple teams stood out and Mikoto made note of them for the future in case she had to face them.
The first team consisted of two blonde twin sisters. The Pokémon they had chosen were Lunatone and Solrock. Lunatone was a cream-colored, rock Pokémon with a crescent moon shape with deep set red eyes surrounded by black. Solrock was a primarily orange, spherical Pokémon. It had eight yellow, rocky spines extending from the sides of its body, and resembled a sun. Both of which were a combination of Rock and Psychic-types.
Charmeleon wouldn't be too effective against them, Mikoto thought. But Pikachu did have Iron Tail, which would be.
The second team also consisted of two girls, but they were related. One of them had an Ursaring. At the sight of it, Mikoto felt a shiver down her spine when she remembered her first encounter with on. She shook her head and took a deep breath, reminding herself she was a lot more experienced now. The girl's partner had a Mawile, a rare steel and fairy-type combination. Mawile was a short, bipedal Pokémon with a pale yellow body and black arms and feet. Its legs had thick, fur-like covering resembling a skirt. The most notable feature was a pair of large black jaws emerging from the back of its head. The two of them took down their opponents in roughly thirty seconds since the match started.
They are going to be tough. Need to think of a counter strategy, but the match was so fast, I barely say their teamwork.
The last team she made note of was one with an Abomasnow. This Pokémon was a large, bipedal creature covered in shaggy, white fur. Its hands, feet, and tail were dark green and spiky, similar to the foliage of an evergreen tree. The most unusual thing about it was it was a grass and ice-type. Abomasnow's evolution line was the only one with this combination. The main thing that made this fight stand out to Mikoto was that the second the Abomasnow appeared, clouds formed and it began to hail. This was caused by the ability; Snow Warning. While Hail is in effect, all Pokémon not of the Ice type will be continuously damaged over time.
Fighting that team will put us on a timer.
The time finally came.
Mikoto and Touma stood up to make their way down to the waiting room for their match.
"Good luck," Ruiko said.
"You will be fine," Kazari reassured them.
"Show them your skills," Kuroko added.
"I'm looking forward to your victory," Misaki finished with a smile.
"So no pressure," Touma muttered, once the two of them were out of earshot. Mikoto gave a dry chuckle.
"They mean well," Mikoto explained. "They just think we are a lot more experienced than we are. Well… I am. I'm not sure about you…"
"First tournament ever," Touma replied and Mikoto raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I told you that before and I'm serious. I never cared about these things before. "When I entered high school, before a tournament could start, I caught Rampardos. My Pokémon keep me way too busy and… I don't like to stand out."
Not sure why, she thought. You're a strong trainer.
"I guess I should thank you then for agreeing to join with me," Mikoto mumbled, a little embarrassed of the fact she virtually forced him to do this. "But I needed a partner and you were available."
"Thank makes me feel better," Touma said and Mikoto suddenly felt bad.
"I didn't mean it in a bad way," she amended quickly. "I don't have any issues with you being my teammate and then you even agreed to be my mentor." Touma opened his mouth and she continued. "You were one of the first people to say I should train the Pokémon I want, not what is based on advantages and disadvantages. I convinced Kuroko to accept that and she's my best friend. Imagine all the people that looked down at me for only wanting to use electric-types."
"But don't gym leaders in other regions do that?" Touma asked confused.
"But their job is to test trainers," Mikoto pointed out. "And, if you noticed, champions always have a variety to adapt. I even teach my Pokémon additional moves like Iron Tail, to help fight against type disadvantages."
"Everyone is their own unique trainer," Touma said. "Don't worry about what others want and focus on what you want to do."
"It's that attitude is why I wanted you as a mentor," Mikoto told him. "And that you know how to raise Pokémon. I don't care if you aren't the strong trainer. You proved you're stronger than me, so at least help me reach your level."
"I'll try," Touma promised. "Though, I never really taught anyone before. So this will be a new experience for me."
"Well, let's focus on the tournament for now," Mikoto suggested. "We can worry about training later. I'm sure Shokuhou-san is going to want to be involved."
"She said she's more interested in Pokémon performances," Touma said thoughtfully and looked at the ceiling. "Not sure there's anything I can help with that." He laughed. "Tournament, huh. We probably should try not to lose the first round."
"If we lose," Mikoto warned him. "I'm using you as a practice dummy for my Pokémon."
"There's the Biribiri I know!"
"Stop with that stupid nickname, idiot!"
"Only if you stop calling me an idiot!"
"But you are one!"
"And you're Biribiri!"
"Excuse me?" A voice interrupt them and they turned. A nicely dressed woman with a clipboard was looking at them. "Are you two up next?" they nodded. "Ah, good. The previous round ended rather quickly. Follow me please." She led them down a hallway and stopped at the entrance way to the field. "When your names are called, approach the arena and stand in your positions. The battle will begin shortly after both teams are ready." They nodded and she left.
"It's time," Mikoto mumbled and slapped her cheeks with both hands. "You got this. Just fight like you always do and things will work out." She looked over at Touma, who was mumbling under his breath.
He looks nervous too. Glad I'm not the only one.
"The next round is about to start!" The announcer's voice echoed around the stadium. "Our first team consists of Joey Miller and Botan Lee." Mikoto heard the crowd applause. "Together, they are Team Fang!" There was more applause and a few cheers. "Our second team consists of Mikoto Misaka and Touma Kamijou!"
Mikoto took a deep breath and stepped out into the field with Touma beside her. She could feel the applause around them and she could have sworn she heard Kuroko shout out onee-sama. She raised a shaking hand and waved as they approached their designated spot. To her right, she saw her friends cheering and waved at them.
"Together," the announcer continued. "They are Team Zapdos!"
"Really?" Touma asked out of the corner of his mouth. "I was late and that's what you named us?"
"It's a good name," Mikoto protested.
"Calling us that won't make Zapdos come to you."
"Shut up." She elbowed him in the side and then straightened up when a male judge took his spot at the side of the half field marker.
"Both teams," he called out. "Release your Pokémon!"
"Alright, Pikachu!" Mikoto cried and threw her pokeball. "It's time to show everyone what we can do."
"Charmeleon!" Touma said. "You're up!"
"Pika!" Pikachu appeared in a flash of light and a few sparks flickered out of its cheeks.
"Charmeleon." Charmeleon shot a small bout of fire into the air when it appeared.
On the far side of the field, their opponents did the same thing. Because Pokédexes were barred from being used in tournaments, Mikoto had to rely on her own knowledge to identify their Pokémon. This time she was lucky and both opponents released Pokémon she recognized.
"Rattatas," Mikoto said to Touma. "Didn't think I would see them in this tournament. Aren't they usually one of the first Pokémon people catch?"
"Don't underestimate them," Touma warned. "The one on the left is different."
The Rattata on her left that Joey had released looked normal. It was a small, quadruped rodent Pokémon. The most notable feature was its large buck teeth. Purple fur covered its back, and cream fur covered its stomach. It had a pair of thin, cream-colored whiskers and a long tail that curled at the tip. The Rattata Botan summoned not only had dark grey fur instead of purple, but there were a few other differences. The long, thin whiskers were replaced by shorter, thicker tufts of fur and the line where the cream underbelly met the gray fur was ragged instead of smooth.
"It's the Alolan form," Mikoto answered. "Different environment caused the physical changed and it's a dark and normal-type instead of just normal."
"Guess that will make things a pretty even match," Touma replied. "None of us have a type advantage."
"Don't think we are going to be easy opponents!" Joey yelled across the field. "My Rattata is in the ninety-nine percentile of Rattatas."
"What?!" Touma yelled back.
"Just ignore him!" Botan called back.
"Hey!"
"Focus," Mikoto hissed at Touma.
"If both teams are ready!" the judge shouted, drawing their attention. Everyone nodded and the judge raised his arm. "You may begin!" He lowered his arm.
"Thunder shock!" Mikoto ordered.
"Flamethrower!" Touma yelled.
It was a mark of their training in coordination the last few days that they understood each other's strategy. Rattatas were mostly physical attackers, so they would need to get in close for a lot of their powerful attacks. They could have a trick or two hidden away, but the range attacks were mostly to test the waters. A torrent of flames erupted from Charmeleon's mouth at Botan's Rattata and Pikachu fired a surge of electricity at Joey's.
"Dodge and use Double Team!" Joey yelled.
"Quick Attack!" Botan cried out.
A dozen images of Joey's Rattata appeared and Pikachu's electricity harmless flew through one of them. Botan's Rattata, instead of simply dodging, charged forward leaving a small trail of light as it plowed toward Charmeleon. The flames stopped as Charmeleon jumped back to put a little distance between them. Its speed was nowhere near the grey Rattata's and the distance between them shorted. This move of Charmeleon's wasn't a simple reaction, but an actual plan.
Something they had practiced in training.
"Iron Tail!"
"To the right!" Botan yelled, but it was too late. Pikachu had already jumped forward and swung its glowing tail into her Rattata. It could not react fast enough to change the direction of its attack. The force of the blow sent Rattata flying backwards.
"Nice one," Touma complimented and Mikoto shared a fist bump with him.
The strategy was pretty simple, but the timing was everything. Because only one of their opponents decided to attack instead of simply dodging their range attacks, they were split up and couldn't cover each other. Charmeleon and Pikachu were relatively close, as their attacks did not require physical movement. When Rattata closed in on Charmeleon with a high speed rush, Pikachu was able to intercept with its own attack. Dodging backwards was just to give Pikachu some room to swing its tail.
"It's not over yet," Mikoto told him. "One hit won't knock them out."
"Hyper Fang!" Joey ordered. "Crush that Pikachu while it's out in the open." His Rattata charged forward, the buck teeth glowing white as it lunged toward Pikachu, who had just landed.
"Let's return the favor!" Touma called out. "Protect Pikachu with Dragon Claw!"
Charmeleon lunged over Pikachu and brought down its glowing green claws into Rattata's head before it could reach Pikachu. The force of that blow sent Rattata slamming against the ground. Its teeth stopped glowing as the Hyper Fang failed to hit anything. Charmeleon landed in front of Rattata and raised its claws.
"Hidden Power!" Joey yelled in panic. "Hurry!"
Several white orbs appeared around Rattata and fire in Charmeleon's direct. Two made direct hits, as the two Pokémon were so close together, while the rest hit the ground and spray up dust, blocking Pikachu's line of sight. The attack didn't seem to cause much damage this time. That was the downside to that move. Hidden Power had a damage range, so it could be pretty weak or pretty powerful. Mikoto realized the exact damage didn't matter, as Botan took over in the moment of confusion.
"Assurance!"
The grey Rattata and shot forward, slamming into Charmeleon. This time there was an obvious sign of damage. Charmeleon was knocked backwards and was forced to slam a hand onto the ground to remain standing.
"What was that?" Touma asked Mikoto.
"Assurance does twice as much damage if an opponent just recently took damage," Mikoto explained. "She was waiting for the opportunity to use it." The smoke cleared and she saw Joey's Rattata. "Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Pikachu jumped into the air and a ball of electricity formed on the tip of its tail. It then flew at the target and made a direct hit. The explosion knocked back Rattata and Mikoto heard Joey yell out in surprise.
"Fire Dark Pulse at Pikachu!" Botan commanded. Joey's Rattata may have been preoccupied, but hers wasn't. Rattata opened its mouth and a light purple orb surrounded in black and purple circles appeared inside. The orb then fired a beam of black and purple circles.
"Intercept that with Flamethrower!" Touma ordered and a jet of flames collided with the Dark Pulse in midair. The attacks exploded against each other harmlessly.
"Hyper Fang!" Joey cried out to his Rattata, who had just gotten to its feet. The front teeth began to glow and it charged forward at Pikachu.
"Thunder Shock!" Mikoto yelled. Electricity erupted from Pikachu and made direct contact with Rattata, but it wasn't enough to cause Rattata to stop. It charged forward and slammed its teeth into Pikachu. "Pikachu!" Mikoto cried out in worry as Pikachu let out a gasp of pain before being sent backwards from the force of the Hyper Fang.
That Rattata is actually pretty strong, Mikoto thought. It took several direct attacks and is not only standing, but fighting back.
"Dragon Claw!"
Touma's words snapped her back to reality and she saw what happened in slow motion. After Rattata's attack, it stopped momentarily to regain its footing. During that brief moment, Charmeleon was already moving. Touma only gave the order about which move to use. Mikoto smiled, thinking about how much their training paid off, as she witnessed Charmeleon bring down the glowing green claw directly into Rattata. It was slammed into the ground because of the power of the attack and did not get up.
"Rattata has fainted!" the judge declared. "Team Fang is down to one Pokémon!"
"Nooo!" Joey wailed, as he recalled his Pokémon back into its pokeball with a flash of red light. "How could we lose in only the first round?! Botan, you have to win it for us!"
"Yeaaaah, about that." She sighed and looked at the field. "Well, no one can say I didn't go down fighting. You ready for our last stand, Rattata?" Her Rattata looked back and nodded.
For the most part, Mikoto thought. Her Rattata isn't injured. Both Charmeleon and Pikachu have taken a few hits, but can keep fighting fine. She turned to Touma.
"It's not going to be fairest of strategies," Mikoto told him. "But combination attacks the rest of the way?"
"It is a two on two," Touma agreed. "So let's do it." They looked at each other briefly and simultaneously called out their attacks.
"Thunder Shock!"
"Flamethrower!"
"Block it with Dark Pulse!" Botan ordered.
The combination of fire and electricity collided against the dark energy in midair before exploding. However, Mikoto's and Touma's combined attack was far more powerful and pushed through the Dark Pulse. Their attacked reached Rattata and blasted it backwards. It managed to land on its feet, mostly to the fact Dark Pulse weakened the attack.
"Use Quick Attack to get close!" Botan yelled. "We are at a disadvantage at range. When you get an opening, Hyper Fang!" Rattata zipped forward leaving a small trail of light behind it.
"Flamethrower again," Touma told Charmeleon. "Limit its movements!" Charmeleon's fire kept Rattata from moving over to one side, so it was forced to charge straight at Pikachu. As it drew close, the light trail vanished to be replaced by the glowing front teeth.
"Pikachu!" Mikoto called out. "Charged forward and intercept with Iron Tail!"
"Pikaaa!" Pikachu shot forward and jumped. Spinning around in midair, Pikachu brought down its glowing tail as Rattata jumped up to meet it with its own glowing teeth. The attacks collided in midair and created a shockwave, knocking them both back. Neither had been damaged, so the advantage Mikoto and Pikachu had over Botan and Rattata became clear.
A teammate.
Rattata was engulfed in flames by Charmeleon's flamethrower.
"Are you okay?!" Botan yelled, as Rattata fell down to the ground. The landing was not pleasant, as Rattata was in too much pain to land properly. However, it still managed to struggle to its feet. "You can do it! Dark Pulse!" Rattata fired another blast of purple and black circles, which Pikachu and Chameleon were able to easily dodge.
"Quick Attack!" Mikoto said and Pikachu dashed forward, leaving a trail of light behind it. Rattata fired another Dark Pulse to try to intercept, but Pikachu easily side stepped it. Unable to move due to the damaged it had sustained already, Rattata was hit by Pikachu's full forced charge and sent flying into the air. It landed with a thud and didn't get back up.
"Rattata is unable to battle," the judge declared. "Team Zapdos is the winner!" The crowd cheered and Mikoto felt a huge smile on her face.
"We did it!" she cheered and high fived Touma.
"Heh," Touma chuckled nonchalantly.
"You did great, Pikachu!" Mikoto told her partner, who ran and jumped up into her outstretched arms. "Let's get you to the Pokecenter and healed up for the next round.
"Pika, pi!"
"Good job, Charmeleon," Touma said to his partner. "Nice job at reacting to the surprise attacks." Charmeleon shrugged, but didn't seem displeased at the compliment. The four of them began to leave when Botan ran up to them to shake their hands.
"That was a good match," she said. "Sorry my teammate isn't coming over. He's a little childish."
"His Rattata had pretty good endurance," Mikoto replied. "I'm surprised it hasn't evolved yet."
"It should at any time," Botan laughed. "But both of your Pokémon were obviously trained a lot better than ours."
"I got to see an Alola version of Rattata," Touma said to her. "So it was a good learning experience. You fought well, even when it was against both of us."
"Now you're just being nice," Botan dismissed him and turned to Mikoto. "He always like this?"
"Pretty much," Mikoto confirmed. "He tries to spare people's feelings."
"Standing right here," Touma mumbled and the girls laughed.
"I only participated because Joey's in my class and couldn't find a partner," Botan said to Mikoto, as they all vacated the field. "Thought it would be fun, but I was hoping we would get past the first round."
"We are going to win it all," Mikoto bragged. "So you would have had to face us at some times." The girls laughed and Touma rolled his eyes. "He only joined because I needed a high schooler to help me get into the tournament." Mikoto jabbed a finger at Touma.
"Turned out to be a good choice," Botan agreed and looked at Charmeleon. "He's a good trainer."
"I know, right?" Mikoto added and puffed out her chest. "I got him to be my mentor, so you might see me at more tournaments." Touma groaned and Botan laughed.
"I take it she didn't give you a choice in this either?" she asked him.
"Not in the slightest."
"Hey!" Mikoto elbowed him in the side again before turning back to Botan. "It was nice meeting you, but we got to go find our friends."
"Nice meeting you too," Botan replied. "I hope you do win. Bye!" She turned and left, leaving Mikoto and the others to head toward the center. When they turned a corner, she heard a couple familiar cries.
"Jolteon!"
"Shinx! Shinx!"
"Onee-sama!"
Mikoto knelt down and Pikachu jumped out of her arms as Shinx and Jolteon barreled into her. She laughed as they rubbed up against her cheeks, even enjoying the slight tingling from the static electricity they emitted. The excitement of winning caused her to be in a great mood. Even Kuroko's sudden embrace and resulting electric shock from Shinx against both of them didn't damper her spirits, after she picked herself back up. A moment later, Kazari, Ruiko, and Misaki showed up. Of course, Misaki ran and embraced Touma in a hug, which actually ticked Mikoto off. Before the annoyance could hurt her spirits, her other friends immediately distracted her.
"That was an awesome match," Ruiko told her and slapped her on the back. "I knew you would win."
"There were a couple moments I was worried," Kazari admitted. "But you two had great teamwork."
"Obviously, they are going to win the entire tournament," Kuroko huffed.
"It's only the first round," Mikoto reminded them all. "And the fights are only going to get tougher."
"Stay confident," Kuroko scolded. "Remember what our teachers told us, when you begin to doubt yourself, you make more mistakes when you miss opportunities."
"You did great, Touma-kun." Mikoto's head turned when she heard Misaki's voice. The girl was clinging to Touma's arm while Sylveon was talking to Charmeleon.
"Charmeleon did most of the work," Touma responded. "But can we continue talking after we take our Pokémon to the Pokecenter? We need to get them healed up."
"Of course," Misaki replied and led the way, still not releasing him.
"Let's all go," Mikoto told the others and they left as a group. Misaki's slight glare was noticeable to Mikoto, who only smiled back sweetly.
"Do you know who your next opponents are?" Kazari asked Mikoto.
"I don't know who they are because they got a bye," Mikoto replied and grabbed her phone. "But I took a picture of the brackets." She pulled up the photo and glanced at it. "It only had the team name though." Ruiko looked over her shoulder.
"Team Guts? That's a weird name."
After Jolteon congratulated her trainer, she slipped off to join Charmeleon and Sylveon. This immediately started an argument as Sylveon tried to use one of her ribbons to push Jolteon away. Jolteon didn't take too kindly to this and released a small spark to force Sylveon to pull back the ribbon. The two of them butted heads and sparks shot out of their eyes as they glared at each other. Things might have gotten heated if Charmeleon didn't smack them both on the head with his tail. Snapping back to their senses, they moved to either side of him and followed silently. Behind them, Shinx was looking confused at Jolteon and Sylveon's behavior and turned to Chikorita, the only other Pokémon near it.
"Shinx, Shinx? Shinx!" Shinx was bouncing on its feet as it asked. Chikorita blink and then smiled with a smug look on its face. One of the bugs on its neck stretched out into a green whip to pat Shinx on the head.
"Chikor, Chikorita."
Shinx didn't understand.
"There you are, you bastard."
Accelerator was lying on a couch in his hotel room skipping through the replays of the matches that had occurred. He couldn't search for the trainer, Touma Kamijou, in the tournament by name. Not that he didn't consider it. He just didn't want the media to find out he had pulled some strings to find a specific trainer. Instead, he just spent time on his laptop skipping through matches until he finally found them.
I knew he had to be part of the tournament, since I saw that brat there. He watched the fight and his frowned became more pronounced.
"What the hell is this garbage!?" he raged. He was so loud his manager stuck her head in from the next room.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"No, just something stupid online." She nodded and left, not worrying about what a teenager was watching online. She wasn't his mom.
Did he purposely choose a weak Pokémon? Accelerator thought. No… the reaction speed is too great. It's been trained, but against a couple rats, it should have only taken one, maybe two shots at the most. His eyes fell onto Mikoto. I bet he chose a weaker one to give the girl some practice. She's still using unevolved Pokémon. I even gave her a Thunder Stone. That brat better have evolved that Eevee instead, it's not like those stones are cheap. He leaned back in his chair, thinking about his matches against Touma and Teitoku. Deoxys was a legendary Pokémon and should have been much stronger than the Ditto. Still, Accelerator couldn't deny something to himself, no matter how easy it would be to deny to others.
The fight with Teitoku didn't get his blood boiling.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
It's time to play another round of, "Who's that Pokémon?" Same rules apply as last time. One point for guessing the type, and five points for the specific Pokémon. Keep track of your own scores.
This time, there is also an additional chance to earn another point by guessing who the main opponent of the next team Mikoto and Touma will face. The leader of Team Guts! One point for guessing who he is, one point for guessing his Pokémon's type, and five points for guessing his Pokémon. Good luck and think hard!
Shinx: So, why was Jolteon arguing with Sylveon?
Pikachu: I'm too tired to explain right now. Maybe when you're older, like Chikorita said.
Shinx: I'm old enough!
Lucario: Trust me. You do not want to know.
Shinx: Don't treat me like a kid!
Charmeleon: He's going to keep yapping if we don't, isn't he?
Magnemite: Yes, he will.
Charmeleon: Fine, Shinx. If you walk through that door, everything will be explained.
Shinx: Finally...! Hey, there's nothing here except…
Ditto: It's time to talk about the birds and the bees.
(2 hours later.)
Charmeleon: What did we learn?
Shinx: L-Listen to o-others and d-don't ask q-questions.
Lucario: I did warn you.
